Can the time of meditation affect the results you get? The time of meditation can have somewhat of an effect on your results. Even though meditation will be effective regardless of the time, there is definitely the best time to meditate. Meditating during specific hours can help you get the most out of your time and effort.
There are some pre-specified best times for meditation, but they can not be suitable for everyone. Today we all have different schedules. Internet, working from home, and various jobs mix the world’s timezone. Some might be working night shifts, and some people might be juggling between their passion and work. With everything happening, we don’t know how to fit meditation into our lives and stick to it. So to solve that, we have come up with a few solutions.
Enhanced is here to help you understand how you can pick the best time for meditation, depending on your needs and convenience. Additionally, you will also learn some tips to help you meditate better.
You can try this 10-minute meditation at any time of the day!
Table of contents
Why is it important to find the best time for meditation?
Here are some points that will further clarify why finding the most suitable meditation time for yourself is essential.
- It allows you to focus well.
Improved ability to focus for a longer duration is one of the various benefits of meditation, but we are not talking about that here. Choosing the right time to meditate allows you to maintain focus while you meditate. There are two reasons for this. One, your mind becomes used to being silent and focused during that hour of the day. Second, you consciously choose a time when you can let yourself shut away from life’s chaos.
- Improves the experience of meditation.
Creating a regular schedule for yourself according to your convenience and a suitable time elevates the overall experience. You can intentionally pick the hours when you can also have a few more minutes to slowly get back to being active. It’s not practical to expect your mind to regain the same level of activeness after being in a theta state for 10 to 20 minutes straight.
- Quality over quantity of meditation.
When you are meditating at a time that is most suitable for meditation, it increases the quality of the practice. For example, the most suggested time is early morning, and during the early hours of the day, there’s not so much activity outside. Minimum activity in your surroundings means minimum distractions. The environment around us also feels fresher and more soothing compared to the middle of the day. If you are a morning person, then it’s possible to achieve intense focus and connection by meditating in the early morning. Ten minutes of deep meditation is far better than 30 minutes of trying hard to meditate.
- It can improve performance & sleep quality.
This depends a lot on which time is best for you as an individual. If you meditate during your work breaks, it can help increase your performance at work. Meditating before going to sleep can intensify the quality of rejuvenating sleep you can have.
Let’s consider the best time to meditate and why they are considered best.
What Is The Best Time Of The Day To Meditate?
We can all agree that the best time varies depending on the person and their lifestyle. Yet, there are five best options for meditation time you can choose from according to your preference.
1. Morning Meditation Time
There are two more options here, the morning when you wake up and the early morning. When we talk about morning meditation, people automatically assume the time between 4 am to 7 am. There is a slight difference in the benefits you can get from both of them, but overall, you will kind of get the same results.
Let’s first talk about why morning is recommended and what makes it the best time. If we talk about the meditative atmosphere benefits, there is no comparison. Morning is hands down the best. The air is soothing, gently cold, and extremely fresh—the sounds when the world slowly wakes up. The sunrise, chirping birds, and if you live in the countryside, it will all be extremely beautiful. It all can take your meditation experience to a whole different level. However, they are mostly only applicable if you choose to meditate outside your house with windows open.
Apart from the effect of the atmosphere, the mind is least active when you wake. You are well rested, and your thoughts about the day haven’t yet started to take over. It becomes a lot more effortless to sit and meditate. The subconscious is more powerful and active than at any other hour of the day. The mind is like a sponge for suggestions at this point, so meditating with positive intentions is hundred percent more effective. These points are still applicable if you wake up late. You can meditate the first thing after you wake up. Just remember not to fall asleep again; you can also freshen up a little and then meditate.
2. Evening Or Post-Work Day
This is best if you want to unwind and get rid of all the stress from the day. This is also suitable if you are not a morning person or if you are always in a hurry to get to work. It doesn’t matter what kind of career or job you have or if you are a stay-at-home mom or dad. Everyone deserves some time for themselves and their well-being. It’s not like if you don’t work a hectic, stressful, fast-paced, challenging job; you don’t deserve to unwind and relax. We all need it, and well, all deserve it.
After work or evening meditation can do a lot more than just help you unwind. It can also act as a work-life balance tool. You can use meditation as a doorway to leave the work stress behind, embracing and focusing on your personal life. It also allows you to have a little bit of “Me Time” before you get back to spending time with your family, friends, or leisure. It can also serve as a perfect opportunity to reflect on your day and release its negative parts. Help you heal and get rid of anything that made you frustrated, angry, or stressed during the day.
The best way to do this post-workday meditation will be after taking a shower or a bath. It can also be an active type of meditation. You can do walking meditation or meditate for meal prep if you cook. The type of meditation you choose is completely up to you.
3. Afternoon Meditation Time
Meditation is undoubtedly a great start or an end to a day. Doing short meditations during the day can also be a very effective way of managing day-to-day stressors. If you don’t want to meditate multiple times during the day, meditating at lunch hours can be a great option. You can always spare five to ten minutes from your lunchtime. In case you consistently have a hectic schedule where you can’t even spare time to sit and enjoy your meal. Then you should consider extending your meditation time.
The constant stress and overwhelming amount of continued work reduce productivity and creativity over time. Research shows meditating during your workday can help reduce the chances of burnout and increase productivity. It is also possible that you will become a lot less distracted and more observant.
If you don’t want to use a part of your lunch break, then you can also ask your employer to allow you ten to fifteen minutes of meditation break during the day. Many offices and workplaces have already started to provide a dedicated place for meditation because of its positive impact on performance.
4. Bedtime Meditation
This is a risky time to meditate if you plan to make it your main meditation session. After getting tired and spending all your energy during the day, you are more likely to fall asleep mid-meditation. On the contrary, it can be perfect if you want to meditate to combat insomnia or induce deeper quality sleep.
Meditation with the goals such as improving cognitive abilities, intuition, and energy healing can ideally be done best when you can stay alert. Meditating to achieve a rejuvenating sleep, vivid dreams, and sleep discipline is perfect for bedtime. If you wish to fix your irregular sleep schedule, then nothing can be better than meditating.
In addition to these reasons, preparing to sleep and meditate makes for a great opportunity to introduce positive suggestions to your mind. You can do progressive relaxation or Yoga Nidra meditation, then play positive affirmations as you fall asleep. When you are sleeping, your mind will be free from negative thoughts that can sabotage the effect of positive affirmations. Thus making the positive affirmations a lot more effective.
5. Meditating Whenever You Feel Hyper Or Stressed
In the middle of an argument, in a traffic jam, or in a conversation, there will always be times when we want to respond well but end up reacting. You can be in control, making valid points and polite responses, but suddenly you lose patience. All those situations can be avoided if you can make it into a habit to meditate when you start to feel hyper.
There can also be times when you are feeling low or experiencing emotional stress. At that moment, turn to meditation and connect with yourself instead of looking for distractions. You might wonder why this is the best time to meditate! It’s because meditation is needed the most during times like these.
Now the question is, what should we look for when picking the best time to meditate?
If you feel the suggested times are not convenient for you, then you can select a time, keeping the following things in mind.
- Pick a time when you can stay as alert as possible, depending on your meditation objective.
- It’s also important not to select a time when you feel pressured to meditate quickly as your main meditation session.
- You can meditate as often as you want during the day; if you find short meditation convenient, stick with them.
- You can try meditating at different times of the day to find the most suitable one for you.
Tips To Help You Get The Most Benefit While Meditating
Try these tips to maximize your time and effort and get the best out of your meditation session.
- Use guided meditation.
It will guide you and give your meditation a direction and goal. You can also be more relaxed and go with the flow without thinking about time or worrying about your mind wandering off.
- Practice mindfulness and awareness throughout the day.
Practicing being mindful and aware as you go about your day can intensify the effect of your efforts. Most of us think that we have meditated for ten minutes, and our job is done there. That’s not always true. All the chaos and a lot of stress in our life are caused because we live mindlessly. It’s not a rule, but it can be of help a lot.
- Use positive affirmations after meditating.
Using positive affirmation is great, anyway. But listening to affirmations after you are done meditating can be more beneficial. You are not only maximizing the effect of affirmations but also your meditative state.
- Don’t rush; allow it to gradually become a habit.
It’s okay if you can’t focus as much as you would like to or if your mind gets distracted more often than you’d want. You might feel a rush of emotions or run into memories you’ve forgotten ages ago. It can sometimes become challenging to continue meditating every day because of all the things you might experience. You must remember that it’s a practice and there’s no need to rush.
Conclusion
Many people prefer to meditate twice a day, morning and evening mainly. It’s easier to focus and stay undisturbed during these hours. It is your choice how many times and during which hours you want to meditate. The whole experience is extremely personal, and when you are tuning inside, the time should be most convenient for you. Convenience, privacy, and a calm environment are the only thing that should be a priority, not the time on the clock.
If you made it this far reading all the details, then we are also determined to make your meditation experience as best as possible. You can schedule your meditation on your terms with the Enhanced meditation app.
